


At the gates of Hell

by Ethel09



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2021-01-02 23:17:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21169514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ethel09/pseuds/Ethel09
Summary: Moss visits a dying Major Campbell





	At the gates of Hell

"It’s the first time he regains consciouness since he arrived here", says the doctor who is leading Moss along the hospital’s corridor. "He asked to talk to someone from Scottland Yard but there’s no time for that. Within a few hours he’ll be gone. I assume that he wants an officer of the law to take his statement about that woman who shot him, a woman named Elizabeth Grey, according to him".

So, thinks Moss, Campbell has been shot by a woman for the second time. Yesterday, when he’s been found in that telephone box in a pool of his own blood, Moss has immediately understood that the Peaky Blinders were responsible for it. But which one of them ? Knowing Polly Shelby for the tigress she is, Moss is not surprised to learn that it was her,after what Campbell did to her.

"Are you sure there is no hope for Major Campbell to recover ?" asks Moss, trying to look concerned.

"Unfortunately, not the slightest. His intestine has been perforated in several places. It’s almost a miracle he’s still alive. So try to get his statement as quickly as you can. He might live a few hours yet, but there is no garantee."

The doctor opens a door and there is Campbell, as white as the corpse he’s soon to be in the fading light pouring through the window. In the man’s half opened eyes, Moss can see utter dismay at the sight of him.

"You ?" he says in breathless whisper."I wanted Scottland Yard".

"They didn’t have the time to fetch them, sir. There’s only me. Do you have a statement to make about your attack ?"

"Before we see about that", croaks Campbell, "tell me something. Shelby is dead, isn’t he ?"

Moss is dumbfounded. Even at the gates of death, the man is still dominated by his obsessional hatred for Tom.No doubt he tried again to have him killed, only to fail... once again.

"Well sir", Moss answers, "he was very much alive this morning".

Cambell closes his eyes, his livid face a mask of agony, and mutters a flow of curses in which Moss only picks the words 'incompetent brutes' and an apparently nonsensical reference to a 'red hand'.

Then he half opens his eyes again, the look in them as venomous as ever.

"Then why would I bother to make any statement to you ? You’re more likely to help the bastard bribe and threat all the hospital staff into forgetting anything I’ve said!"

Moss doesn’t answer. Why bother ? It's the truth, and there is not need to deny it in front of a dying man.

"But as you’re here, you might be of some use. What did he do ? Who did he see ? Did you keep having him watched, as I had asked you to ?"

Moss knows very well what Campbell is really asking : has Tom seen Grace Burgess again ? He considers his answer. Should he lie to let the man go to Hell in some peasure of peace ?

But Moss hates the man, utterly hates his guts. He’s glad to see him dying. It’s him, with his self-righteous speeches and revolting methods, who has whipe away any respect that Moss had left for his profession, and made of him yet another corrupted coper in Tom’s payroll. And why not ? Where was the 'side of the angels', if obeying to a chief such as Campbell meant commiting even worse crimes than taking a few quids to look the other way ?

And so, Moss answers :

"Well this morning, he came to the Ritz in London and saw a Mrs Grace McMillan. I think you knew her under the name of Grace Burgess, sir."

**Author's Note:**

> Cambell was so prone to gloat in the worst way any time he thought he had won that I wanted him to be aware of his complete defeat bedore he died. Besides, an explanation was needed about how the police could know two years later that it was Polly who had killed him.


End file.
